


Creation in Reverse

by equivocalEternity



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Minimus Ambus is Ultra Magnus, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Self-Worth Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/equivocalEternity/pseuds/equivocalEternity
Summary: “Me,a Magnus? With all due respect, sir,” Minimus says, “You must be joking.”
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Creation in Reverse

_“Me,_ a Magnus? With all due respect, sir,” Minimus says, “You must be joking.” 

He wasn’t expecting this when he was summoned to the office of Councilmember Tyrest by Tyrest himself. He’d thought he'd be needed to sort out some filing, maybe, or to locate a misplaced document. It wouldn’t be the first time; Minimus may be a nobody, but he’s an efficient nobody, so he has worked directly under Tyrest before on occasion.

It’s never been anything like this. 

“Don’t insult me,” Tyrest says. “I never joke. And I didn’t say you were going to be _a_ Magnus. I said you were going to be _the_ Magnus.”

“I...I don’t quite follow.” He tries not to fidget. He’s not good with unexpected surprises.

“Sentinel is barely fit to be an Autobot, let alone for the position of Magnus. I refuse to stand by as he drags Cybertron down with all his showboating.” Tyrest turns to look at Minimus. His gaze, as always, has an air of detached professionalism that Minimus desperately wishes he could pull off. “We need Ultra Magnus back. And for that, we need you.”

Minimus shifts slightly. “I’ll do anything I can, of course, but I don't know how I could possibly be of use in this situation. I’m not a medibot, sir.”

“It’s a good thing I don’t want you to be a medibot, then,” Tyrest says. “Ultra Magnus is dead. We haven’t told the public yet, so I expect you to keep that to yourself.”

“Dead?” That can’t be right. It's _Ultra Magnus._ Minimus knew it was bad, but he’d never thought Ultra Magnus would die. He never really thought Ultra Magnus _could_ die. “Sir, that’s—“

“Inconvenient, yes,” Tyrest says. “But I’ve managed to find a workaround.” 

_“Inconvenient?_ He’s—“

“Follow me.”

Tyrest presses a button on his desk and part of the wall behind him slides away, revealing a long, narrow hallway. He enters the hallway without so much as a backward glance to see if Minimus follows. Minimus does, of course. He has to half-jog to keep pace with Tyrest. Tyrest is one of the tallest Autobots Minimus has ever seen; not nearly as tall as a Decepticon, of course, but tall enough that he makes Minimus feel small in comparison, even though his armor puts him at an average height. In fact, Minimus thinks the only Autobot he knows of who’s taller is Ultra Magnus.

 _Was_ Ultra Magnus.

Tyrest pulls a datapad out from under his cape as he walks. “Minimus Ambus, data clerk,” he reads. “Currently located in Iacon. Spark brother of Dominus Ambus, deceased. Alt mode, minesweeper. Special abilities, none.” He looks down at Minimus out of the corner of his eye. “You know, forgery is against the Autobot code. Lying on your identification data? That’s treason.”

Minimus went cold. “Councilmember Tyrest, sir, I—.”

“I'm not going to arrest you,” Tyrest says. “In fact, I’m pardoning you of all crimes—including your charge for possession of banned texts, by the way—and, more importantly, I’m offering you the chance to do more for the Autobot cause than most bots could ever dream of.”

“I don’t understand,” Minimus says. 

“You’re a smart bot. Keep up. I know about your loadbaring ability, and I want you to use it.” He takes out another datapad and hands it to Minimus without so much as slowing down.

Minimus takes the datapad. His hands are shaking slightly, and he’s grateful to Tyrest for ignoring it. “Are these schematics? What are they for, some sort of armor? The design, it almost...looks like...”

“Ultra Magnus,” Tyrest says, as they reach a door at the end of the hallway. “Exactly. It’s already fully built, and indistinguishable from the real thing. All it needs is a pilot.”

“And you want _me?”_

“Yes.”

Minimus stares at the schematics. His head buzzes. This entire situation feels surreal. “Sir, what you’re proposing...I’d be impersonating a dead mech.”

Tyrest puts his hand on a scanner next to the door. It beeps twice, and the door opens. 

“I’m going to be blunt, Ambus,” he says. “We’re on the brink of disaster. Sentinel doesn’t know how to lead, and he’s not listening to the Council. We may have captured Megatron, but we _cannot_ afford to let our guard down. We must be prepared for the Decepticons to retaliate. It’s just a matter of time. Cybertron needs Ultra Magnus back. You’re the only one who can do this.”

“I don’t know anything about military command,” Minimus says faintly. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Tyrest says. “I’ll be personally supporting you every step of the way until you settle into your role.”

Tyrest gestures for Minimus to enter. Every step is a battle against his nerves, but he does.

Most of the room is shrouded in shadow, but there are lights placed at regular intervals around the silhouette of a large shape against the far wall. The lights turn on as they walk closer, and Minimus looks at what they illuminate.

It stands there, massive and unmoving. It looks like Ultra Magnus. It looks like a corpse.

“I can’t do this,” Minimus breathes.

Tyrest looks down at him. Minimus can’t take his eyes off the armor. 

“I can’t _do this,”_ Minimus says again. “I can’t—“

“Minimus.” 

Minimus shuts his mouth with a _click._ Tyrest kneels down in front of Minimus, and puts his hands on Minimus’ shoulders. Minimus wrenches his gaze away from the armor to meet Tyrest’s. Tyrest looks unflappable as ever, and Minimus can feel the shame starting to seep in for losing his composure like a sparkling.

He swallows. “Apologies, sir.”

“It’s an understandable reaction,” Tyrest says. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I have faith in you. I didn’t pick you just for your load bearing capabilities, you know. I’ve seen your work. You’re diligent, you’re dedicated, and you’re good at following orders. All I’m asking is that you do your part for Cybertron.” He looks at Minimus intensely. “You do want to do your part, don’t you?”

“Of—of course, sir,” Minimus says.

“We’re all cogs in the great machine of Autobot society. We all have our roles to fulfill. This,” he says, gesturing at the armor, “This is your role. This is your purpose.”

His purpose.

“It would be permanent, wouldn’t it,” Minimus says.

“Yes.” Tyrest is still watching him. “Minimus Ambus would be declared missing, presumed dead. You could never go back to your old life.”

Minimus nods quietly.

Tyrest is right. Cybertron needs Ultra Magnus. Things have been so unstable without him, and all of Sentinel’s new laws have just made things worse. Minimus couldn’t even celebrate when Optimus Prime and his team captured Megatron. He just sat at home, watching the news footage and waiting for something to go wrong.

Minimus Ambus is a nobody. He’s tried to work hard all his life, but he hasn’t really accomplished anything worthwhile. Nothing that makes a difference. He wouldn’t miss his life of quiet monotony. He wouldn’t miss being Minimus Ambus.

“I’ll do it,” he says.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from issue #20 of More Than Meets the Eye. When Tyrest says it he’s actually referring to the killswitch being turned on, but I thought it fit well here too.
> 
> I love Minimus, and I love picturing him in other continuities, so I wrote this as an exploration of how he might become Ultra Magnus in TFA. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> I’m not the best at replying to comments sometimes, so please don't feel obligated, but also if you do leave a comment know that it means the world to me even if I never reply. You can find me on tumblr from my main, [@quadrilioquy,](https://quadrilioquy.tumblr.com/) or my writing sideblog, [@equivocaleternity.](https://equivocaleternity.tumblr.com/)


End file.
